Hiding From God and From One Another

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:1-15

The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God. . . .
— Genesis 3:8

From
the time of the fall into sin, people have tried to hide from God in
many ways. Today many publishers and media outlets compete to attract
people’s attention by making outrageous statements. Some have even
said, “God is dead,” and, “God is not good,” adding to the
ways of hiding from God by going on the offensive against him.

There
is nothing new about such claims. Even 3,000 years ago, King David
heard similar remarks and wrote, “The fool says in his heart,
‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).

Adam
and Eve hid from God because they were afraid. They knew they had
disobeyed God and that evil had gained a foothold in their hearts. In
their shame, they could not face the Lord as he came to meet with
them. Adam tried shifting the blame to Eve. By rupturing their
relationship with God, they ­became estranged from one another.

Some
play the blame game by saying that evil in the world is God’s
fault, and they refuse to believe in him. As alienation from God
grows deeper, people hide from one another. They fear that if their
real selves became known, no one would like them.

But
God forgives. Have you asked his forgiveness today?

Prayer

What insecure lives we lead, O God! Fear and anxi­ety isolate us. Reconcile us to yourself, as you promised Adam and Eve, through the Savior who makes forgiveness possible. In his name, Amen.